7 Things To Be Thankful For Right Now

There’s the common core and health insurance issues. Not to mention the normal every day stress of getting several kids to activities, doing homework, keeping the house clean and managing to buy enough food to actually cook a nutritious meal. And then all that Christmas shopping in the crowds, with the traffic! But taking time out to feel gratitude puts everything in check doesn’t it? You’ve probably seen your friends on Facebook over the months listing daily gratitude posts. It’s a GREAT thing to do year round, not just in December (though nothing bad about a little EXTRA gratitude!)

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Here’s 7 things to be thankful for.

1.Facebook. Yes, for all the ads and sometimes drama and spam in the inbox from gentlemen that find me lovely, I LOVE Facebook. I can keep up with my cousin and her beautiful family. I can grow my home business. I can shop local buy and sell groups. I chat with friends about their days.I keep up with events in my town. I read funny cartoons. I learn a new recipe.It’s an open 24/7 party and I just love it.

2.Pets. I’m blessed to have 2 wonderful cats and have had others over the years. My heart smiles when I see one of my children bent over, petting our cat, talking in a super sweet voice and showing love and compassion. Pets teach us so much. They offer unconditional love. They are our friends where no words are ever needed. If I had more money, and more room, I’d add another few cats, 2 dogs, some bunnies and even a horse. There’s nothing like our animal friends.

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3.Children. Goes without saying right? God’s gift to us. There are no words to explain the love a Mother feels for her child. A Father too, but this is TODAYSMAMA and I know who is reading this. If you,like me, look at your children and remember the days with their little chubby feet, sticky hands, mispronounce words and heart melting smiles, and yearn for those days, you are not alone. But EVERY age has it’s joys, and as the teen years settle in at my house for my oldest, I am learning to cherish every single minute, every kiss, every time they don’t pull away from a hug and every single family game night, movie night or day on the soccer field. Remember, “these are the days”.

4.The people that fight for you. The people that protect our country.The ones that fight for our freedom. The ones that march to get GMO’s labeled or to have a new law passed. You may be doing it but chances are you’re not. Be grateful for those strong enough and demanding enough to fight for change that keeps us safe and healthy.

5.Authors. Man, I LOVE a good book! I’m always blown away how moved we can get, how they can bring us to tears, touch us in unique ways, make us think, teach us, make us laugh. Heartwarming stories like a new Debbie Macomber’s Christmas story, hundreds by Nora Roberts, Kristen Hannah’s beautiful reads about friendships and families, Harry Potter’s life at Hogwarts, oh and about 3 million others! It’s the perfect season to stock up and read to your heart’s content. Or start a family tradition. I read On Christmas Eve each December with my daughter. We love it! And the shared time taking turns reading is wonderful.

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6.Things thatmesmerizeus. You know, that feeling of sitting by a crackling fire , just staring at it, thinking absolutely nothing, but reveling in the warmth on your face and getting lost in moment. The mesmerizing pull of gazing at the ocean waves rolling in, the fog over a mountain or lake, the sun rising or setting. It’s things like this that make us live in the moment and live by FEELING through our senses and our hearts, not thinking. And really, is there a better way to live?

7.Food. Real food. Not from a box, bag or factory. But REAL food, in it’s natural state; fresh,organic, unsprayed, grown with love and eaten mindfully. Biting into crisp apple, slicing into a red plump tomato, the creamy goodness of an avocado, a bowl of gleaming blackberries or luscious strawberries. Freshly baked homemade bread like Grandma used to make. Garlic roasted broccoli. Whatever it is that you love, it’s the sensations, the tastes, the smells, that bring meaning to a meal. It’s the memories you make while enjoying that meal. With all the talk of pesticides, GMO’s and processed foods, once you go “back to nature” and start enjoying fresh, organic, in-season, home grown or local grown, prepared with love foods, you may never want anything else again. Enjoy!